Late Quaternary landscape evolution, paleoclimate, and geoarchaeology, southern New Mexico and west Texas

An understanding of paleoclimate and its effect on past ecosystems is important in understanding the relationships between geomorphology, ecology, and archaeology. The goals of this research were to: (1) describe the late Quaternary stratigraphy of the Hueco Basin, (2) determine the timing for erosional and depositional events, (3) determine vegetational history and paleoclimate, (4) determine how the above changes may have affected the preservation and integrity of the archaeological record, and (5) how present geomorphic features correlate to artifact distribution.; The general stratigraphy of the Hueco Basin is composed of the La Mesa surface overlain by either a Jornada I or II deposit, an Isaacks' Ranch deposit, or by an Organ deposit. Overlying the Organ sediments is the Historic Blowsand deposit.; Stable isotopic analyses indicate an abrupt shift from C{dollar}sb4{dollar} grasses to C{dollar}sb3{dollar} desert scrub beginning at approximately 8 ka. This vegetational shift resulted in a basin-wide erosional event, which created a paleolag that was buried by the deposition of the Organ I unit. {dollar}deltasp{lcub}18{rcub}{dollar}O values remain constant during the 8 ka shift in {dollar}deltasp{lcub}13{rcub}{dollar}C values, suggesting that a decrease in effective precipitation possibly coupled with an increase in atmospheric CO{dollar}sb2,{dollar} were the driving factors contributing to this vegetational shift rather than temperature change alone.; The largest enrichment of {dollar}deltasp{lcub}18{rcub}{dollar} values occurs during the middle Holocene at approximately 4 ka, and suggests an increase in mean annual temperature and/or a shift from winter precipitation to summer monsoons. Enrichment driven by evaporation associated with the change to summer monsoons is highly likely and is coupled with an increase in C{dollar}sb4{dollar} grasses from approximately 4 to 2 ka.; The youngest {dollar}deltasp{lcub}13{rcub}{dollar}C values indicate an increase in aridity between 2120 and 1550 yr. B.P., corresponding to the Fairbanks Drought and the Formative period of cultural evolution.; Correlation of present geomorphic features to artifacts was unsuccessful. Lastly, the presence of stage II nodules both at and beneath the surface suggests (1) upward movement and/or (2) maintenance of a surficial lag through time. These processes may have an important impact on the stratigraphic position of artifacts in eolian environments worldwide.